Commissioners seek "Vote Center" designation

Monday

Mar 26, 2012 at 3:48 PM

County Commissioners on Monday unanimously approved a measure streamlining the process for establishing "super precincts" or "vote centers" for every non-primary election, following an outpouring of community support for the magnet voting locations.

Monday's vote allowed County Judge Tom Head to sign a letter asking the Texas Secretary of State to designate Lubbock County a "Successful Countywide Precinct Program," which would permit the county to abandon the voting precinct system in most elections.

Primary elections, with their precinct conventions, must still be conducted using the voting precinct system.

A recent state law allowed for approved counties to forego the process of applying to the secretary of state before every election to use vote centers.

County residents on Monday turned out in droves to extol the voting locations which allow a registered voter to vote wherever he or she pleases.

"I've never met or heard of a voter who was opposed to vote centers," election worker James Ball said. "It's the greatest convenience for voters that I know."

For nearly an hour, speaker after speaker praised the vote center system's convenience.

Speakers representing the American Civil Liberties Union, the League of Women Voters and several towns and school districts echoed their support.

Several letters of support, including one from Lubbock Mayor Tom Martin, were also read into the record.

A video and audio recording was made of the public hearing, to submit to the secretary of state.

Jill Henry has worked elections for years and said it is sad to see people show up to vote right before the polls close only to discover they are at the wrong precinct. They can either hightail it to the correct location or case a provisional ballot - which may or may not be counted.

The vote center system eliminates that by making all voting locations viable, Henry said.

"I think vote centers are the future of this generation," she said.

Speakers touted the convenience, but also the cost savings that eliminating several voting locations would bring.

Before voting, Precinct 4 Commissioner Patti Jones called convenience and savings added benefits of the system, but said the goal of the vote centers was always to conduct an election in which voters could have confidence.

"Integrity and security of the vote has always been first and foremost," Jones said.

If approved by the Secretary of State, Lubbock County could then go directly to the U.S. Department of Justice before each election to get permission to use vote centers, said Dorothy Kennedy, Lubbock County Elections administrator.

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